Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Carmina Nox Noctis ❯ What's Mine is Mine ( Chapter 1 )

Carmina Nox Noctis
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction
by Mika The Raven
Not rich, did it for fun, don't sue
All original characters are copyrighted by me but you are free to use them if you ask
Chapter 1: What’s Mine is Mine
He dreams…
Winds blew silently across a desolate landscape, there was an occasional knarred thing that looked like a nightmarish version of a tree, and a sense of presence that threatened to overwhelm the psyche like the feeling one gets when one knows it is being hunted.
Ranma felt the dry earth crack beneath his feet as he cautiously made his way towards a light in the distance. He had been walking for what seemed like hours trying to reach it, but no matter how far he walked, the strange multi-colored light just seemed that much farther away. He had also discovered the his footprints seemed to erase themselves after a few seconds, so he had absolutely no idea how far he had actually walked, or if he was walking in circles for that matter.
YOU ARE NOT YET MEANT TO APPROACH THE ZIGGURAT. he heard the taunting voice of the cat from just behind his left shoulder and spun around to meet nothing but air
"Where are you?" exclaimed the pig-tailed Saotome scion.
EXACTLY WHERE I’VE ALWAYS BEEN, RIGHT BESIDE YOU. Ranma felt the cat smiling.
Ranma spun about frantically trying to find the location of his tormentor, but to no avail. He was just barely able to make out the presence of someone else just beyond the edge of his perception, but sensing it was like letting an ant make its way through the hairs on ones arm.
“I’m getting tired of playing your games!” he yelled into the void.
WHO SAYS YOU’RE PLAYING MY GAME? I FOR ONE FIND THIS WHOLE SITUATION YOU’VE MANAGED TO PLACE YOURSELF IN BOTH TRITE AND TRIFLING.
A puzzled expression settled across Ranma’s features. This was an unexpected development, but Ranma hadn’t survived as long as he had without having learned to be overly suspicious of strange events… Imagined or otherwise
“Didn’t you bring me here?” he whispered hesitantly
WHY WOULD I DO A THING LIKE THAT? WATCH YOUR STEP.
What he saw next took his breath away. The world around him seemed to warp and reshape itself into new and even more impossible angles. He noticed inklings of movement in his peripheral vision, and the shadows that threatened to overwhelm the narrow pathway where he now stood seemed to ebb and flow as though they were part of some greater malevolent presence. He started to walk down the path as if drawn by something that told him he would find his answers here. At the end of the ruined cobblestone walkway was an ancient looking structure that appeared to be a cross between Roman and Japanese architecture with a gigantic steel door with a surface pattern that resembled oil on water. Ranma put his hands on the door and shuddered as he felt the heat sucked from them.
I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO STOP NOW.
"Shut up." Ranma growled out.
JUST TRYING TO BE HELPFUL. Ranma could hear the smile in the cat's voice
Ranma sighed with his entire body and relented "Why should I stop?"
YOU ARE NOT MEANT TO BE HERE. THERE ARE CREATURES IN THIS REALM THAT WOULD FIND YOU MOST APPETIZING. IT JUST WOULD NOT DO FOR YOU TO PERISH AT THIS TIME.
Ranma scoffed at this, what was there that could possibly hurt him? He had beaten things that would have killed a lesser man. Hell he had almost single handedly defeated a power mad godling. He was Saotome Ranma, Heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. He wasn't afraid of anything...well except for ca-ca-ca...fuck it, those furry hate filled little devils. He began to push at the door with a herculean effort, but it would not budge. Suddenly his entire body was wracked with the most intense pain he had ever experienced. He then felt himself picked up like he was a toy and flung into one of the many pillars that were skewed about the courtyard of the acropolis.
I THOUGHT I MIGHT FIND A SMALL MEAL, BUT INSTEAD I FIND A FEAST! IT’S CRIES ARE LIKE THE FINEST NECTAR IN ALL REALITY. I SIMPLY CANNOT WAIT TO SUCK THE FLESH FROM THIS ONES BONES. The vorpal spider said as it clicked its fangs together chitinously.
Ranma shook his head clear of the many brilliant stars that clouded his vision. "Anybody get the number of that truck?" he groaned as he gathered his bearings.
ONLY A VERY UNWELCOME GUEST. Ranma could feel the hatred rolling off of the cat's presence in his mind. BOY, LOOK JUST ABOVE THE DOOR.
Ranma did so. What he saw shocked him speechless. Perched on the wall just above the massive door was the biggest spider he had ever seen in his life... at least he thought it was a spider. It seemed to be made entirely out of shadow as parts of it seemed smoky and not really there. Its eyes were black dead things that made it impossible to know if it was looking at you. But the most chilling thing was the very human mouth that was filled with razor sharp teeth. It was grinning at him.
"What the hell is that thing?" Ranma managed to get out.
THAT BOY, IS A DREAM EATER. GIVEN THE CHANCE IT WOULD CONSUME MORE THAN JUST THIS NIGHTMARE.
"What do you mean by that?" Ranma was afraid of the answer.
IT DEVOURS TORMENTED SOULS, AND GIVEN THE DUALITY OF YOUR NATURE, IT WOULD SEEM THAT YOU APPEAR TO BE QUITE THE DELICACY. There was a hint of smugness in the cat's voice that struck a familiar chord with him. It was the same tone he used when sizing up a potential foe.
"Can I beat it?"
NOT AS YOU ARE NOW. Said the cat matter-of-factly.
BUT I SUPPOSE THAT DOESN’T MATTER ANYMORE.
"Why not?!"
YOU SHALL SEE.
"See what?"
I AM GOING TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU, DO NOT BE AFRAID. No sooner had the cat finished speaking there appeared in the air in front of Ranma what looked to be tears from claws...big ones. An inky black shape poured from the wound it had made in reality. Ranma's teeth began to chatter loudly as he realized he was staring into the eyes of the largest cat he had ever seen sitting on it haunches swishing it's tail to and fro like a pendulum.
DO NOT BE FRIGHTENED BOY, THIS IS HOW YOU CHOOSE TO PERCEIVE ME.
Ranma stammered out a reply. " Bu-bu-but I hate cats, why would I want to see one?"
PERHAPS IT IS BECAUSE YOU WERE BORN TO BE A HUNTER OF MEN...OR MAYBE YOU ARE NOT AS BENEVOLANT A PERSON AS YOU WOULD HAVE EVERYONE BELIEVE. CATS ARE THE CRUELEST OF NATURES CREATIONS YOU KNOW.
The cat looked like it was going to say something else, but at that very moment the dream eater shot a thick black substance at Ranma's feet. He felt his body go numb as the umbral webbing worked its way up to his shoulders stopping just below his neck. It was as though the strength had been ripped from his muscles. He looked at the cat, and nearly choked as he saw that the impossibly large was seated on its haunches and grinning at him as errant bits of shadow wafted off of its back and tail.
I CERTAINLY EXPECTED MORE OF THE GREAT SAOTOME RANMA. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? FIGHT! The cat yelled at him.
Ranma nodded and powered up his considerable Chi, enough power to slay a god. The Spiders web melted away as his aura sprang gloriously forth.
But something was wrong.
"I've never drawn this much power before!" He thought to himself.
"THIS IS THE GLOAMING...THE BELIEFS TO WHICH YOU SO DESPARATELY CLING DO NOT APPLY HERE BOY" the cat said with a fanged grin
“So It won’t hurt if I cut loose then huh, SOUNDS GOOD TA ME!” with that Ranma charged the spider battle aura blazing like a thousand suns. The spider trying again and again to snare him with its webs but to no avail, as Ranma weaved in and out between the smoky strands of adhesive.
“MY, YOU ARE AN ENERGETIC LITTLE THING AREN’T YOU” Said the spider
Ranma brought his considerable aura to bear forming a shimmering blue-gold ball of ki into existence between his palms, life energy arcing up and down the length of his arms.
“So you like energetic do ya? WELL HERE’S ALL THE ENERGY YER GONNA GET FROM ME YOU EIGHT-LEGGED FREAK! TAKE THIS…MOKO TAKABISHA!
A massive beam of ki lanced from his hands, the backwash incinerating his sleeves up to the shoulders. He saw sparkles of light at the edge of his vision and new that he had put everything he had in to one all or nothing shot. He would be in no position to retaliate if his gamble failed.
He grinned as the immesnly powerful beam blew through the ethereal arachnid like a hot knife through butter, a sick soupy black substance oozing from the gaping wound.
The ki blast rapidly grew weaker and died off as a shower of residual superheated air molecules drifted lazily in the aftermath of what had been the most powerful blast he had ever thrown. He fell to his knees gasping for breath as he was no longer able to muster the strength to stand. He heard the laughter of The Cat behind him.
IMPRESSIVE BOY, MOST IMPRESSIVE…BUT I FEAR IT WAS NOT ENOUGH, LOOK BEHIND YOU!
Ranma whipped his head to where he was sure there had only been the charred remains of the giant spider, but there it stood it mandibles clicking chitinously and looking hungrier than ever.
“MY MY, I AM IMPRESSED, YOU WILL INDEED BE THE FINEST FEAST I HAVE HAD IN A SOUND MILLENIA! I CAN’T WAIT TO DRINK THE MARROW FROM YOUR BONES. YOU LOOK SO DELICIOUS.” Said the spider as it fired yet another hazy strand of webbing at Ranma this time connecting with his chest. His body went numb as whatever it was he had been hit with spread from his chest to encase his extremities.
"What the- I can't move!" He looked to that cat and saw it was still just sitting there swishing its tail "Aren't you going to help me?"
I MAY YET, BUT I WANT SOMETHING FROM YOU FIRST.
The spider was getting closer. Ranma could see the acidic venom dripping from it's fangs and sizzlng as it hit the stone walkway.
"What do you want? Help me please!" Ranma was getting frantic as he struggled helplessly at his bonds "I'll do anything. I don't wanna die! Not like this!"
The cat bared it's teeth in a grotesquely feline version of a smile. DON'T WORRY BOY, IT'S NOTHING SO LARGE YOU'LL BE UNABLE TO PAY MY PRICE.
"JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT AND GET IT OVER WITH!" Ranma screamed.
I MERELY WISH FOR YOU TO GRANT ME A PIECE OF YOURSELF AND FOR YOU TO ADHERE TO A CODE MORE ANCIENT AND POWERFUL THAN EITHER OF US.
"AND JUST WHAT CODE IS THAT!" the spider was getting a little too close for comfort.
A LIFE SAVED IS A LIFE OWNED, IN SHORT YOU WILL GO ABOUT LIVING YOUR LIFE UNTIL I HAVE NEED OF YOU, BUT WHEN I CALL IN THE FAVOR YOU WILL SUBMIT TO MY COMMAND UNTIL SUCH A TIME AS THE DEBT IS REPAID. YOU WILL HAVE OTHER DUTIES IN THE MEAN TIME.
“LIKE WHAT!” Ranma yelled as he saw the dream eater’s venomous fangs clicking together in a furious staccato, like the march of a thousand soldiers. It was maddening.
YOU WILL BE THE ARBITER OF MY WILL IN YOUR PLANE OF EXISTENCE, MY ATTACK DOG IF YOU WILL.
“WHADDAYA MEAN BY ATTACK DOG, I AIN’T NOBODIES STOOGE!” Ranma yelled still struggling but he couldn’t even manage to move his shoulders.
I’LL HAVE AN OCCASIONAL ODD JOB FOR YOU HERE AND THERE, BUT SOMETIMES I MAY REQUIRE YOU TO MAKE A CORRECTION TO THE MYRIAD INNEFFICIENCIES OF YOUR RACE.
“Corrections?” Ranma replied not liking where this was going at all
“YOU FIND OUT WHEN THE TIME COMES, BUT IF I MAY THAT BEAST IS GETTING AWFULLY CLOSE.” The Cat finished with a grin.
The spider picked Ranma up and prepared to sink it's fangs into his body. OH YESSSSS, SO YOUNG, SO TENDER. I HAVEN'T SMELLED ANYTHING SO SWEET IN EONSSSSS.
Ranma screamed "ALRIGHT ALRIGHT! I ACCEPT NOW HELP ME GODAMMIT!"
The cat laughed REMEMBER BOY, YOU ALWAYS KEEP YOUR PROMISES. then he roared DROP HIM FOUL ONE, HE HAS BECOME MINE THROUGH THE CODE OF THEY WHO HAVE NO NAME. YOU WILL HEED MY DECREE!
Ranma flinched as he felt the spider’s fangs caressing his skin, as though in consideration. He then breathed a sigh of relief as he felt himself lowered to ground in front of the vorpal arachnid. BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU THIS MORSEL...YOU WERE BETTER OFF DEAD. There was a whisper of air, and the spider was gone.
The cat padded over to Ranma's prone form and bit into his shoulder eliciting a cry of pain from the immobilized martial artist. WITH THIS EMBRACE YOU ARE MINE UNTIL SUCH A TIME ARRIVES WHEN I NO LONGER HAVE NEED OF YOUR SERVICE. BE GONE FROM MY SIGHT.
"WAI-" Ranma vanished in a puff of smoke.
The cat's form then shifted and realigned into the shape of a tall thin man comprised entirely of shadows, with the exception of his glowing catlike eyes and ghost white face.
"You appear to have done well for yourself, old friend." The man turned and beheld a beautiful woman wearing an elegant dress that had a web like pattern that shifted like evening shadows. She probably would have been considered a classic beauty if it weren't for the fact that she had two additional pairs of arms.
The man shrugged his shoulders and smiled, showing a mouthful of razor sharp teeth as he did so. "Well, I do SO hate to disappoint, though it is a relief to see you haven't lost your flare for cheap theatrics. But honestly what do you think of him Willow."
The spider lady shot him a dark look "He is most assuredly a fine choice, but I would not try to progress him too quickly Bartholomew, he has the potential to walk in the presence of shadows darker than ourselves and call them peers."
Bartholomew laughed bodily and waved his hands in front of his face in a placating gesture. "You are sharp as ever, my dear. For one so young to have progressed down the path to power on his own is quite a feat. But then as they say, a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.”
Willow laughed at the old saying and replied. "Too true , but I warn you again tread carefully with this one. His potential is vast, and that makes him equally enticing to the others.
Bartholomew stopped smiling. "He will not disappoint me."
"How can you be so sure." Willow asked with a tired grin
"I will remove any obstacles in his path."
"Obstacles?"
"Wait see old friend. Wait and see." Bartholomew faded out of existence with an echoing laugh.
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Ranma awoke with a shout that was quickly stifled with a mouthful of water provided by one Tendo Akane.
"Honestly Ranma, why do you always have to try and wake the whole house when you have a bad dre-" she stopped short when she saw the steam coming off of her now female fiancé. The look in her eyes told of many bad things about to happen if she didn't leave right now. "I think I should be going." She turned to leave
Ranma snarled "Stop right there Akane!"
Akane froze. Alarm klaxons were screaming in her head "GETOUTGETOUTGETOUTGETOUT!"
Ranma was across the room before she could blink. She moved to defend against the grab she barely even saw coming, but it was effortlessly knocked aside.
She gasped as she felt a hand close around her throat.
"I'm tired of this Akane. Really and truly tired, so tired in fact I'm not quite sure I care about what happens to you in the next few minutes. Hell, Shampoo could crash through the wall right now and attempt to smash your fucking head in and I'm really not entirely sure if I would do anything to stop her. So the next time you feel entitled to hit me for some imagined slight remember this.”
She slammed Akane into the wall with enough force to knock the wind out of her
You will never be good enough to stop me from hurting you if I chose to do so. Do I make myself perfectly clear?
"Crystal. Ranma" She winced as there was another squeeze of her windpipe.
"Ah-ah-ah you aren't allowed to call me that anymore. That name is to be used only by people I trust, and quite frankly I don't trust you...fuck it I don't even like you. You're nothing but a violent egomaniacal bitch that has done nothing but torture me since day one. So when we go to school today you aren’t going to speak to me, say my name... hell don't even look in my direction." she pulled her close so they were nose to nose. "Now get out of my room."
Akane had never moved so fast in her life. It was like she had been reduced to a panicked animal, like her feet had been granted a mind of their own. She did not stop until she had reached the dojo.
Akane had left in such a hurry she never saw the glazed look come over Ranma-chan's features, almost as if she was waking from a dream.
"What happened?"
ONLY WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. said the cat in an amused tone.
"Oh gods what did you do?"
I HAVE REMOVED AN OBSTACLE. THAT IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HER YOU BASTARD! AAAUGH!" Ranma's senses were flooded with a pain so intense he almost passed out.
HAHAHAHAHA DOWN BOY! SHE IS AN OBSTACLE, I WILL HAVE TO REMOVE ALL DISTRACTIONS FROM YOUR LIFE IF YOU ARE TO BE OF ANY USE TO ME AT ALL
Ranma was slowly recovering. "What did you do to me?"
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS TO DOGS WHO SNAP AT THEIR MASTERS.
"Master?" He writhed in pain as his brain was still hurting from The Cats last disagreement
DON’T YOU REMEMBER OUR DEAL BOY? BUT I SUPPOSE I COULD ALLOW FOR A LITTLE MORE AUTONOMY ON YOUR PART, ON ONE CONDITION OF COURSE.
"And what would that be?"
LET ME BE FREE TO PLAY WHEN I WANT, IT’S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I’VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INDULGE IN A PROPER HUNT.
"If I do, no more headaches?"
OF COURSE.
"Then I guess we have a deal."
RANMA MY BOY, THIS LOOKS TO BE THE START OF A WONDERFUL PARTNERSHIP. NOW TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO HEAR.
"Sir, Yes Sir. My Master."
VERY GOOD BOY, YOU LEARN QUICKLY! The Cat said with a snort.
PERHAPS TOO QUICKLY FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.
END CHAPTER ONE
Hey guys I decided to give chapter one an quasi extensive rewrite and flesh out the relationship between Ranma and Bartholomew a.k.a. The Cat. This is the first of a couple of rewrites and any suggestions you guys might have for Dark Counsel member would be of immense help.
So R&R and tell me what you think
Mika the Raven